One Nation State Leader Steve Dickson at a Remembrance Day Service at the EJ Foote Memorial Gardens in Buderim. Picture: Lachie Millard

Opinion

One Nation leader Steve Dickson's grubby ‘strap-on’ lie

by Malcolm Farr

13th Nov 2017 12:38 PM
| Updated:
12:55 PM

OPINION

WITH less than two weeks to the November 25 Queensland election, One Nation is unbeatable in a contest for the grubbiest campaign episode.

It was a display of deceit and contempt for voters centred on ugly claims that Labor wanted little girls trained in the use of sex toys.

The individual responsible for this outrageous statement was state One Nation leader Steve Dickson, who on Saturday said the following, while party founder Pauline Hanson stood alongside, nodding vapidly.

"One Nation is about protecting the whole family unit," he told reporters.

"And that takes me on to another note - the controversial Safe Schools program in Queensland.

"We are having little kids in grade four at school, young girls being taught by teachers how to masturbate, how to strap on dildos, how to do this sort of stuff - that is the real problem in this country."

Forget the galloping hypocrisy of another One Nation candidate on the weekend confirming he owns a sex shop, and remaining a candidate after the revelation.

The claims by Mr Dickson are totally untrue and demonstrably so. But still not without consequences.

Imagine, for example, the worries of parents who consider Mr Dickson a credible authority.

Then consider how these parents and others in a community might take their concerns out on the teachers - trained educators wanting to boost young minds not corrupt them.

The vocation is debased and the school staff treated with suspicion, or even accused of perversions.

All because Steve Dickson believed he could say whatever he wanted, without any evidence, because that's what One Nation does.

It rallies support by scaring voters, not informing them.

It takes as a given - and not unrealistically - that many voters have lost faith in the major parties. So, any claim those parties want something absurd, such as primary school classes in autoerotism, have two aims.

One is to increase apprehension towards major parties; the other to pledge One Nation would halt the measure. No facts or discussion required. The higher the hogwash factor, the louder One Nation becomes.

Pauline Hanson makes a cup of tea at a Remembrance Day Service. Picture: Lachie Millard

It is the only political model available to a party which has no substance apart from its role as a vanity vehicle created by and dedicated to Pauline Hanson's mammoth self-absorption.

The damaging and disgraceful claim about non-existent sex education classes is part of the ruse.

Ask ex-senator Malcolm Roberts. The former dual citizen, found by the High Court to have ignored the Constitution - he also ignores science - is a candidate in the Queensland poll.

On Sunday he noted Mr Dickson's untrue reference to a Safe Schools program in the state, but then piled on further rubbish with the silly tag "Marxist" attached.

"Changing the name of #SafeSchools to 'Building Respectful Relationships' still teaches our kids a Marxist sexualisation program," he tweeted, linking to a newspaper article which made no mention of Queensland schools.

Mr Roberts made no attempt to correct Mr Dickson's absurd comments about dildos. The clear objective of his tweet was to support his leader, whatever the facts.

On Twitter I asked him to name schools teaching the use of sex toys. There was no response.

In relation to this non-exchange a person on Twitter identifying as a Brisbane teacher wrote: "I've read some of the comments in this thread.

"I'm no wowser, but please don't report on this as a punchline. As a teacher, I've felt sick to the stomach today, thinking that people believe this happens in schools. I've had colleagues in tears of hurt and anger."

And someone replied: "Don't take it to heart.

"We millions of parents know our kids(') schools well ... the quality of the people who give so much to our kids. So we instantly know what bullshit those claims are."